The Art of Dancing in the Rain

Chapter 7

"There was something in her movements that made you think she never walked, but danced." --L.M MONTOGOMERY

Chapter 7

Once I checked to make sure everyone was gone I turned on the music used for auditions and danced. When the music finally ended I was panting hard. There was applause by the doorway. I jumped frazzled by the unexpected noise.

Stnading there looking dazed and cute was a little girl about the age of four or five. She had a pretty blue dress on clapping "Again,again," she laughed. I knew that face the same nose, but who? Rushing into the room panting herself Melanie looked at the girl. Barely saying the words "there you are," through her heavy breathes.

There was a stop in the room, the tension was thick. Melanie looked around the dully lit room, at the stereo, the window, then me. Noticing the pause the absentmindedly sat down palying with the hem of her dress with her pudgy little fingers.

Finally noticing I wasn't going to make a move to speak Melanie looked up at my face saying a "Hey." Maybe it was me, but that smiled seemed too genuine to be true, it looked almost forced. And it hit me straight at the heart. Man I wish it was only me.

I stood dumbfounded staring at her like a jigsaw puzzle, cluelessly trying to find something to say between the gaps we now held. I chose my safest option "Hi." One simple word so small and measly instead of commending myself I was actually started to reprimand myself for it maybe a 'hello,' would've been better, more sufficent for this occasion.

"I thought you stopped dancing," she said now her turn to look stooped.

"I never stopped," I mumbled.

"I'm sorry we interrupted Drake, that genius asked me to babysit his little sister. And she--I'm just sorry," she said stopping herself from the oncoming ramble. I remained a stoke face although internally I was smiling. Smiling at the fact that she might be the same, she might be- 'the girl you once knew, your best friend?,' my conscious asked cutting me off.

I swallowed the lump in my throat 'Not this, not again,' I thought. Her 'sorry' broke me out of my trance though. What did she know? What could she know? It shook me how much meaning she put into that one word, it wasn't only for interrupting and we both knew it.

I nodded and she turned to leave "Hey...can we keep this to ourselves," I asked. It broke me the look of hope on her face, now fully disappearing till it was gone.

"Yeah sure...and Cec-ilia I think it's really great you didn't stop, your a great dancer," she smiled lifting up the child and walking the rest of the way out of the building and clear out of my sight.

It hurt she called me by my name, I used to always tell her too, but now it just left a bitter taste in my mouth. You know like if you happened to swallow a whole bottle of listerine, that feeling. 'Be careful what you wish for,' was so right. I missed her presence, her kindness, and even her consistent rambling. Plain and simple...I missed her.

(I was going to stop her, but I thought it was way too short)

If my life could get any better at the moment it started raining.

"Why me?," I cried out at the rain. I really shouldn't have expected a response.

It was funny though, the guy on the forecast channel promised clear sky's and a sunny day. This was none of the above,stupid Curt.

I kept on driving, the wind picking up, and the rain coming down harder as only one of my windshield wipers worked. With the radio broken all I heard was the annoyingly slow manner of it's movement over the rain and back until it stopped completely. 'That's absolutely perfect,' I thought sardonically 'At least the car was still working,' I laughed dryly.

Thunder now rumbled loudly at I was stranded. Maybe it was my fault for speaking so soon, I jinxed myself or...the car could've been broken to begin with. Yeah I definitely jinxed myself. Groaning I got out of the car and opened the hood. 'What are you doing idiot? Get back in the car,' my subconscious mind yelled. It was true, would I admit that 'no.' I would never admit I had no clue of what I was doing, I wasted my time coming out the car, no umbrella, now completely drenched with smelly rain water. As I said stranded.

A car sped past then two and I guessed that was my cue to go back in the car soaking wet. Let's just say the water was all over my face now and it wasn't because of the rain. Ten minutes passed and by then I thought I was hopeless,until a car stopped. My heart did the same, it was who was coming out the car. 'Why do people like me suffer so much embarassment?'

I put my head on the steering wheel, maybe he'd see no one and leave, that's how I got rid of my pet cat. That wasn't the case, not even five seconds later there was knocking on my window. Noticing my reluctance to get out he went close and blew on the window. Writing 'Need help,' backwards so I could understand it. Yes I needed tons and tons of help for what was currently going through my head at the moment.

I don't know what type of great force had me nodding my head, but it was the only movement I was capable of doing at the moment and quite frankly I couldn't stop. 'I'm an idiot,' I groaned internally stopping my head before I got dizzy.

'Chivalry was not dead it was just taking a long vacation...off somewhere...in the Bermuda Triangle,' I realized that when I opened the door for myself, and he drove off without letting me put on my seatbelt. I was going to die and if it wasn't from the speed then the overwhelming silence in the car. I usually like silence, but not the awkard type. I would've been lots more comfortable if I wasn't in arms reach. Yes lots more.

Five minutes later I had stopped looking out the window and my attention was fixated on him. As yogi bear would say 'It's deja vu all over again,' and I would make myslef look like a complete if I didn't stop soon.'

Somewhere along the ride he broke the silence to ask me my address. Too embarrassed to tell him my address I told him the address of the local library nearby. I silently prayed he would never remember this encounter.

I was so stuck up in my own world I didn't realize the car stopped until he cleared his throat. He looked straight at me with that calculating gaze. I shuffled in my seat saying a quick 'thank you,' he did save me from dying of pneumonia. But before I could leave he caught me by the hand.

"I'm pretty sure this isn't where you live," he said carelessly nodding his head towards the library.

"I have to return a...library book?," I answered questionably. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid,' I felt like banging my head on the window. I really couldn't think straight, but let's blame it on the rain,not the close proximity.

He just nodded his head like it was an appropriate answer, letting go of my hand. It took all my willpower not to yell I was lying, but the other half of my brain told me the safest thing was to keep my mouth shut. So that's what I did. I said 'a well thanks,' jumping out of the car with my bag into the pouring rain. And he still said nothing, nada, zilch. And for some peculiar reason his silence had me worried, but maybe it was just me. Just me.

Thanks for reading! :*)